NHL

“Beard-A-Thon” Rides Again…

The playoffs are upon us and that means it is again time for playoff beards. You know you are going to grow one anyway, so why not do it for charity!

The Pittsburgh Penguins are asking you to grow one for the team!

The annual playoff Beard-A-Thon is back and you can grow one that will benefit the Mario Lemieux Foundation. Sign up, set up your profile and have your family and friends sponsor you! The highest fund raisers will receive prizes, but everyone benefits when we join together to fight cancer.

Here is the official release…

PENGUINS FANS INVITED TO “GROW ONE FOR THE TEAM”

Penguins Beard-A-Thon to Benefit the Mario Lemieux Foundation

This playoff season, the Pittsburgh Penguins are asking fans to “put down the razor” and “grow one for the team” with the team’s second annual “Beard-A-Thon” campaign. Proceeds from the fundraiser will benefit the Mario Lemieux Foundation.

Fans willing to grow playoff beards are asked to enroll online at www.beardathon.com/penguins and upload photos of their freshly shaved faces. Throughout the playoffs, beard growers can ask their friends, family members and co-workers to pledge their beards while updating their profile pictures. The Penguins will award prizes to the three beard growers who raise the most money for the charity.

Fans who are unwilling or unable to grow playoffs beards are also encouraged to participate by supporting friends, family members or co-workers who are growing beards.

“Last year, our fans showed they are the best in the NHL by raising the most money league-wide for the Beard-A-Thon campaign,” said Penguins vice president of marketing James Santilli. “We are happy to give our fans another chance to demonstrate their passion for our team during this year’s playoff run while raising money for a very worthy cause.”

In 2009, over 1,700 Penguins’ fans grew beards and raised over $113,000 for the Mario Lemieux Foundation.

The Mario Lemieux Foundation is dedicated to raising funds for cancer and neonatal research as well as Austin’s Playroom Project, an initiative that creates sibling playrooms in medical facilities. Additional information about the Mario Lemieux Foundation is available at. www.mariolemieux.org

About Brian Metzer

Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Brian Metzer has been covering the Pittsburgh Penguins and National Hockey League since 2004. He is the host of Penguins Live and co-host of PensWeek on the Penguins Radio Network, serves as the Pittsburgh Penguins correspondent for NHL Network Radio on SiriusXM, does similar work for TSN 1050 in Toronto, is a contributing writer for NHL.com, the Beaver County Times and is the primary contributor for this site www.fromthepoint.com.